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RHYTHM: Good Times – Psalm 77

Friday before Proper 8: Psalm 77:11-20

Reading: Psalm 77:11-20

Good Times

There’s a Wilco lyric that asks and answers, “How do you fight loneliness? Smile all the time.” I’m a big fan of Jeff Tweedy and Wilco. A lot of their music resonates with my inner struggles at times. There’s even one that goes a level deeper, written from the perspective of a painfully solitary fan. This fan can’t quite connect with the band in real live, but vicariously lives through the lyrics of the singer, singing about his own loneliness, before the fan returns home to an empty apartment with no messages on the machine.

The psalmist adopts a “smile all the time” attitude here. Today reading is within the same psalm as yesterday’s; we’re only verses away from, “my soul refuses to be comforted.” But today the psalmist has picked up some pluck: “I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.”

There’s not always light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it’s so dark you long to know if you’re even in a tunnel. But it’s important to know you’re not alone. This won’t apply if you’re in some kind of situation where you’re physically removed from other people. From a mental health perspective, simply being around other people can prove healing. If you’re down, don’t isolate yourself.

For reflection:

I realize we’re on a tear of mental health devotions at the moment, but I blame the Psalms. Where is your level of fulfillment right now? Are you thriving? Does anything need to change?

RHYTHM is a daily lectionary devotion series in development by Youthworker Circuit. YWC members also receive weekly curriculum sessions for Sunday’s readings. To subscribe to Youthworker Circuit, click here. If you’re new to us, you might like to know more about RHYTHM. You’re also welcome to check out more of our devotions, or come visit us on Facebook!